Recently, I went to two locations that both had rare/unusual alarm devices.
The first location is the Farmington Community Library in Farmington, built in 1975 and renovated in 1999. While most of the system has been modernized with rebranded National Time/Gentex ceiling detectors and pull stations (540 series), I was surprised to find a National Time 411F still in operation on the ground floor! What makes this find unique is that it was the only device I saw in a building with an “open-air” design and two floors. I saw no other audible devices. In addition, I discovered a very rare Detex crash bar/exit alarm original to the building in the basement. This is only my second time seeing one of these in person: The first was at Eastern Michigan University’s REC/IM building in a utility room, but unfortunately, the alarms (two of them) themselves didn’t appear to be operable anymore, as there were two Detex EAX-2500 exit alarms in very close proximity. I was unable to get a model number for the exit alarm.
The second is Yesterday’s Antiques and Collectibles in Livonia, which has a Fike-branded system with BG-12 pull stations and SpectrAlert Advance NAs. This was my first time seeing a Fike system in person.